Most of us are well aware about the consequences of smoking and drinking on lungs and heart but do you know smoking can affect your vision too? If you don’t know, then don’t worry it’s never too late. Now let us know how does it affect your vision.
Eye diseases caused by smoking
Studies show that there are higher chances of developing an eye disease for a person who smokes. In fact smoking can increase the risk of developing eye diseases as much as 3 times. Not only the smokers, but it increases the chances of being affected by eye diseases for the non smokers living with smokers.
There is a higher chance of developing age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy and Dry Eye Syndrome. Smoking even worsens your vision if you are already suffering from an eye disease. The more you smoke, the worse it is.
What does the statistics say?
All these relations and risks are not imaginary, instead these can be interpreted by statistical data. Let’s see what does statistics convey.
- Smokers are 4 times more likely to go blind in old age.
- Age related macular degeneration :- One way to reduce the risk of developing AMD is by NOT smoking. Smokers are three to four times more likely to develop AMD than non-smokers. Non-smokers living with smokers almost double their risk of developing AMD.
- Female smokers over the age 80 are 5.5 more likely to be affected by AMD then non smokers.
- Cataract :- Smokers who are addicted to smoking (such that they smoke more than 15 cigarettes a day) have a 3 times more probability of developing cataract.
- Glaucoma :- Though there is no evidence and study which shows direct impact of smoking. But there is a strong link between smoking and diabetes, eye infections, cataract and high blood pressure all of which are risk factors for glaucoma.
- Diabetic Retinopathy :– Smoking almost doubles your risk of getting affected by diabetic retinopathy. There also is a causal relationship between smoking and both the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy, in addition to numerous other diabetes complications.
- Dry eye syndrome :- According to a research, cigarette smoke has more than 7000 chemicals and these emissions and chemicals are so harmful for eyes that it can cause dry eye. Smoking doubles the chances of developing dry eye than non smokers.
- Uveitis :- Evidence shows smokers are more likely than non-smokers to have uveitis, and smoking appears linked to the development of uveitis. One study found smoking was associated with a 2.2 times greater than normal risk of having the condition.
- Women who smokes during pregnancy increases the risk for children to develop eye diseases.
All these statistics and researches are worrisome. Isn’t it? But you can free yourself from this worry and reduce your risk of developing an eye disease by deciding to quit smoking today. Take a pledge today to safeguard your vision.
Preventive steps to lower your risk of vision loss
Prevention has always been better than cure. Smoking is the biggest preventable cause of blindness in the world. You must quit smoking today to ensure your healthy tomorrow. Along with quitting smoking, there are another steps and measures that can prevent vision loss due to smoking. These are :-
- Exercise regularly.
- Go for a regular eye check up even if your eyes shows no symptoms.
- Maintaining normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels is important.
- Eat a healthy diet rich in green, leafy vegetables and fish.
- Wear sunglasses and a hat with a brim to protect your eyes from sunlight.